Care of Cage Bars in an Aviary (Part-I)

When buying a cage please make sure that the bars are strong enough for the species of birds you want to keep. It goes without saying that lovebirds need much thicker bars or wire mesh than canaries.

The gap between the bars or wire mesh is also something you should pay attention to. If the bars are too far apart from each other or if the wire mesh too coarse, then lovebird may try to wriggle itself out through the gaps and get its head struck .

It is for this reason that small tropical birds cannot be kept in a cage that has been specially designed for lovebirds, for example, and the latter cannot be kept in a parrot cage. Because of the strength of the wire mesh or the bars, a strong budgerigar or parrot should not be kept in a cage is spacious enough for the bird.

How to Identify Sick Lovebirds?

If you know your lovebirds well, you will be able to tell by their behavior and appearance whether or not they are feeling well. Healthy lovebirds are active and feathers are flat and sleek. Deviant behavior could include that there is some kind of problem, may be lovebird sickness.

The lovebird might start to become withdrawn, apathetic, start making stereotypical movements, start plucking its feathers or just generally becomes restless. One of the first signs of sickness is that the lovebird’s feathers are “fluffed up” rather than flat and sleek and that the bird is generally listless.

A lot of lovebirds will look like this when the ambient temperature is too low for them. By fluffing up their feathers they retain some body heat in the space between their feathers. An increase in temperature will generally improve things in these cases.

Other symptoms that tell you that there may be something wrong with lovebirds includes difficulty in breathing, “gasping” for air, diarrhea, loss of appetite, bald spots, feather loss, abundant molting, tum-ors on the bill, legs, and around the eyes, partial or full paralysis, a discharge from the nose or eyes, and swellings.

When you suspect sickness with your birds, you should never just wait and see how things develop, but take immediate action. If you keep in touch with experienced bird-keepers and breeders, then you will be able to present the problem to them.

Experienced bird-keepers know certain symptoms very well and often know exactly how you treat them. You could try and get in touch with experienced people via bird associations. In addition, you could try and contact your veterinary surgeon.

A simple examination of the lovebird’s droppings might be all that is needed to find out what is wrong. In other cases, a blood sample or examination of one of the affected birds be needed to find out what is wrong.

Breeding Season Aggression in Lovebirds

Don't think lovebirds will choose partners easily. It is quite often the case that birds that have been put in the same breeding cage or aviary do not get along with each other.

If your lovebird that is known for its lack of tolerance, make sure you stay around for the first couple of days after you have put them together. You can then take action when things look like they are getting out of hand.

Problems may also at a later date if one of the partner is in the mood for breeding, while the other is not. Aggressive behavior during the mating season is usually restricted to the males. They chase each other, sometines with disastrous results.

If you keep a close watch on the birds, you can separate them before it is too late. Sometimes clipping one of the wings of an aggressive bird may also help.Then the bird is not quite as fast and maneuverable as a result of this temporary handicap.

Aggression is often something of a temporary nature and only lasts as long as it takes the female to get into the mood of mating, that is, if the female is not too young.

Lovebirds Molting Period Maintenance

Do you know an adult lovebird molts once in a year? If a lovebird molts more frequently or for a very long period of time, this may be due to bird getting the wrong kind of foods, stress, or factors such as sudden change of temperature, or a disease.

The molting period is a critical period for almost all species of lovebirds that make considerable demands on their contributions. Birds need extra nutrients during the molting period and most birds are also less active during this period than usual. The molting period on average lasts between six to eight weeks.

A frequently occurring problem is ‘Perch Molting’. This means that the birds just keeping on molting. Perch molting is often caused by bathing and drinking water that is too cold, in comparison with the ambient temperature.

A good household remedy to help the birds get through this molting period is to give them a tiny amount of sodium dissolved in drinking water everyday.